Observations
The full index of my nice images is available here
Cyril CAVADORE Home page
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Welcome to Cyril Cavadore home page, a web site mostly dedicated to CCD ASTRONOMY, Telescope making and Photography. To know more about me ! |
This page is not updated very frequently (last updated Dec 2024)
For new events and achievements, please go here:
| · | ALCOR SYSTEM company (I've founded) |
| · | PRISM Software web site |
| · | My Facebook page |
| · | Video #1 here and Video #2 there (in French) |
| · | My Phd Thesis Online - Mémoire de thèse Cyril Cavadore |
| · |
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Last posts (till Dec 2013) :
| · | All Sky camera |
| · | Direct-drive mount prototype |
| · | Some site testing |
| · | Some fisheye tests |
| · | My Observation page |
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| Astronomical Observations |
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I'm fond of astronomical observations. I have built my own telescope (250mm), running CCD camera. I am observing at IAU A86 site various kind of objects. I try to find ideas to overcome the problem of life family, professional life and light pollution that are non compliant to overnight observations. Sometimes, I am using telescopes belonging to other people/associations (Pises Observatory,….) The full index of my nice images is available here |
1999 Total Solar Eclipse |
Observing with 60cm VALMECA Telescope It describes observing runs achieved with the Valmeca 60 cm telescope troughout the years, at Puimichel, France. This is the report presented thru these pages. |
2006 Libya Jalu total solar Eclipse This is the story of the fabulous trip I did to observe the total solar eclipse in Libya. I was plunged into the deep desert to watch this great event ! |
Observing under Chilian Skies |
Engarouines observations Here are the observing runs I did using the observatory of my friend (L.Bernasconi). This later has produced gorgeous images of the sky using his 500mm F3 telescope. |
Observing at PISES Observatory I like to observe in this place, the nature is really impressive and the place is full of charm.I use the 500mm F/4.5 telescope, as well as photo lenses. I knew this place since 1987 and fell in love of it ! |
Image gallery (other telescopes) |
V916 variable observations This pages provides information for those who wants to observe a variable star and contribute to a research lead by profesionnal astronomers. |
Observations at Pic du MIDI |
Spectrography observation run |
Asteroid 9811 Cavadore It was discovered by the Schmidt telescope located at OCA, and by A.Maury int he late 90s. |
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My papers Articles on Astronomy, related to technical matters |
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These are paper, notes that I have written during the course of my life about Astronomy and technical matters related to it. this can be on various topics |
Limiting mag. reference fields |
DIMM seeing monitor software The DIMM aims at measuring the seeing (or turbulence) condition in a given observation site. The following page presents a DIMM dedicated software that uses a Webcam (or any directshow camera) and performs measurement 20 times per second. |
Turbulence effects and high speed imaging The turbulence effects are now well known, this paper explains the Fried radius, and all the parameters that counts for evaluating the turbulence effects with respect to a telescope aperture and atmosphere conditions. |
CCD observations in suburb site |
Light pollution and sky background This page discuss about the light pollution from human activities and how it increases the Sky background in CCD images. Discussion undertaken to optimize the amount of images per exposures versus Signal to Noise Ratio. |
Units and systems employed in Astronomy This is useful to know all the units employed in professional Astronomy, their meanings and their scope is explained in this pages. Page always updated ... |
Star coverage for AO application |
How to enable Pises Observatory for remote observations ? This is a pdf file that explains how Pises Observatory was upgraded to be able to be driven from thousant of kilometers appart, remotely. It aims at improving the telescope usage rate. |
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| Telescope making and Hardware designs |  |
Telescope making is a very nice hobby when the weather is not suitable for observing. It allows you to build your telescope for a real cheap price and to control the whole system. I have been making telescopes for 16 years, like Schmidt Cameras up to 300mm, Newton telescope up to 400mm. This involve the knowledge of mechanics, optics, electronic and computer programming.. a real challenge where improvement is always possible due to technology changes. |
A 250 mm computerized telescope |
Intes M703 180 mm tests I have purchased in nov 2003 an Intes Alter M703 telescope. This is the main entrance to get all the pages related to it : test and use with CCD camera and webcams. |
500mm telescope tracking mechanics redesign This is basically the Pises Observatory 500 and 400 mm tracking systems that I have completely redesigned by myself. This lead to significant improvement in terms of tracking performance. but also convince me that Torque Motor are the future... |
G11 Mount tests |
Focusing system for Alter Intes M703 I have installed a focused to my M703 Intes. This focuser has a reset position achieved by a magnetic sensor. |
Alt-AZ telescopes Some plots and discussions about ALT-AZ telescope trajectories. this might be in the future a project for me ;-) |
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| Telescope optics |  |
Telescope optics is a very attractive field, as well as designing optical systems using ray tracing software like Zemax, manufacturing the parts and makes the sky test. I have been involved in this field since 1985. Schmidt plates, correctors, main mirror are fields that I used to enjoy to polish. I have also worked on Shack Hartmann devices. |
Shack-Hartmann principle |
Shack-Hartmann talk This is a talk given in 2003 during AUDE Seminar in Paris about basic princples of Shack Hartmann. |
Schmidt Cameras In 1992, I wrote a book to explain how to achieve a complete Schmidt camera. This book describes how to cut the Schmidt plate and all other details. This is scanned files that have been compressed down to 3.7Mo |
Optic and turbulence |
Shack-Hartmann software I have written a Shack Hartmann real time software that allowed me to carry out measurements and to compute wavefronts in a real time" fashion.Very funny project. |
Shack-Hartmann sytem Shack Hartmann system has been built and is used on the Sky to characterize turbulence and optical systems performance. |
16383 spot (128x128) Shack Hartmann system |
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| Detectors and CCD systems |  |
This is a fascinating field: the CCD detectors used for Astronomy. Say that, 20 years ago, a film had quantum efficiency of 2%, whereas the CCD has now up to 80%. CCD has revolutionized the way of doing Astronomy, allowing amateurs using a 20cm telescope to compete with 4m telescopes when they were using photographic plates in the late 60s. This is a field where I've being working professionally for. |
Kaf1602E and Marconi E2V 47-10 |
The Chungara CCD controller The Chungara CCD controller is a low noise system able to read out many kid of CCD. It uses the Ethernet interface to transfer the data to the computer. In 2001, it was an UNIQUE feature ! |
CANON EOS 20D CMOS detector tests This is a page that deals with 20D CMOS sensor measurements (read out noise and dark current) |
Sony XCD-V50 camera tests |
Backside illuminated CCDs This is an old, but still valuable paper about backthinned devices and their benefits for color imaging. |
Interline shutter The use of interline CCD can avoid the use of an expensive mechanical shutter. This electronic shutter can leak a bit... see how much. |
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| DMK QHY5 and QSI comparison Have a look here how performs a DMK with a sony CCD compared to a QHY5 with a micro CCD and a QSI with a KAF1603 CCD. |
KAF-6303 blooming Old KAF sensors does not have blooming protection, see how this is impacting image quality with bright stars. |
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| PRISM software |  |
Prism is an Astronomical image processing and sky Atlas software that I have been writing since 1992. It's been used worldwide. It is made of 880.000 Delphi line code, and features hundred of functions to prepare and to take the best benefits of your astronomical observations. The current release is V8, first released in March, 17th 2011 These page intend to provide some application note regarding PRISM |
Users FORUM (French) |
PRISM v6 and VISTA Here is a trick to setup Prism v6 for Windows VISTA. Prism v7 is not affected by those issues and runs with no user specific setup changes from OS. |
PRISM and ASCOM Ascom drivers are used widely and can support a lot of hardware (filter-wheels, dome, telescopes, focusers and CCD cameras). This links explain how to setup Prism to use ASCOM interface. |
Script editor |
PisesAtlas-Prism said PAP98 PAP98 is an old version of PRISM that can be loaded here. It comes with all the features for free. Just download and install! |
PRISM CPA file handling This page explains how to read CPA images format (source code and DLL included). |
Blooming cleaning |
Process images from digital SLR camera A kind of tutorial that guides you to preprocess images from digital cameras and obtain nice deep sky images, from Raw images from SLR cameras such as Nikon, CANON EOS 10D or 20D. |
PRISM Courses and training |
Additional help pages related to PRISM |
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| Electronics Designs |  |
Electronic design is part of telescope making, it starts by driving RA/DEC axis of telescopes, proceed to assistance to focusing, to drive a dome, to drive a CCD camera, etc etc.. Electronic is nowadays unavoidable to point the telescope towards an invisible target, achieve automated telescope. This section will provide general purpose designs, as well design related to telescope driving. |
Dometracker |
Embedded Ethernet interface This section provides all the information related to a custom- made Embedded Ethernet Interface that can be used with a CCD camera to transfer data to a WINNT based OS PC. This design can be used for all application requiring high speed data transfer to a PC. |
Switches driven by Ethernet This shows how a set of general purpose high power switches can be driven by the Embedded Ethernet interface. The goal of such a design is to enable the PC to switch on/off devices remotely. This is a basic brick for an automated remote observatory. This design can open-close a dome, switch on the telescope drives, telescope CCD, etc etc... |
MCMT II |
Cloud Sensor system This is a design based on an infrared sensor to measure the cloud coverage. It does as well magnitude per arsec square measurments, wind, temperature humidity.. A lot of work ! |
EOS Digital camera Remote Control System The current EOS remote control system provided for performing astronomical images is insufficient. This page shows a system developed for the purpose of achieving long exposures images allowing total control from a PC. |
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| Weather, climate and all SKY systems |  |
What could be Astronomy without any basic knowledge of weather forecast and climate ? Since weather is an important component of astronomical observation, it disserved its whole section. Also, additionnal information is put here about cloud sensors, all sky camera, that are now common use in Astronomy. |
EUROPE Sunniness |
FRANCE Climate and sun |
Link to best satellite images site This is the link to DRSD UK meteorology; this is the web site that shows the nicest satellite images and compute your own statistics. Also this is one is not so bad : meteosurf |
Lacrosse Weather Station 3600 |
Peleng 8mm Fisheye review
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Cloud Sensor system This is a design based on an infrared sensor to measure the cloud coverage. It does as well magnitude per arsec square measurments, wind, temperature humidity.. A lot of work ! |
My Weather web page |
Starway S1 as a all Sky camera I was wondering if the camera could perform well to be used as an all Sky camera. You get the reply if you click on the link above. |
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| Photography |  |
That's a real hobby...Photography section will show pictures from the trips I have made around the world. If you want to use the picture, please, be kind to ask permissions and credits to use it for your own purpose... |
Link to my pictures (General) |
Paranal Obs from Plane On the way back to Santiago ... :-) |
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Updated by Cyril Cavadore, all right reserved. Ask for authorization to use images and documents. |
